LIFE Platform Meeting ONE RIVER-MANY INTERESTS 27-28th June 2017, KOBLENZ, GERMANY Summary Report (July 2017) Prepared by Zsuzsanna Kocsis-Kupper and Diana Heilmann (NEEMO EEIG) 0 TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 2. Background ................................................................................................................................................................ 5 3. Objectives of the platform meeting ........................................................................................................................... 5 4. Summary programme ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 4.1 27th June 2017 – Plenary Session ......................................................................................................................... 6 4.2.1 Workshop 1: Waterways in a changing world .................................................................................................... 11 4.2.2 Workshop 2: River restoration and ecosystem services...................................................................................... 15 4.2.3 Workshop 3: Stakeholder involvement in the restoration processes - experiences of river restoration works 17 4.3 Reporting session, open discussion and Wrap up ............................................................................................. 20 4.4 27TH JUNE 2017 – Field TRip ...................................................................................................................................... 21 5. Platform conclusions .................................................................................................................................................... 20 ANNEX 1. AGENDA ............................................................................................................................................................ 21 ANNEX 2 List of participants ............................................................................................................................................. 25 ANNEX 3 Feedback from the participants ........................................................................................................................ 29 1 1. Introduction The 2017 Water Platform Meeting ‘ONE RIVER-MANY activities implemented on the Lahn river will also INTERESTS’ was held in Koblenz, in Germany on the serve as a role model for the overall handling of 27th and 28th of June 2017 within the frame of the first “Germany’s Blue Belt”to create a nationwide system German Integrated Project (IP) co-financed by the LIFE of interlinked biotopes along Germany’s major rivers programme: LIFE14 IPE/DE/022 - Living River Lahn. and waterways. The purpose of the platform meeting was to examine several aspects and problems of different water uses 76 delegates attended the platform meeting from of rivers, focusing on river restoration and to discuss across 14 countries, many of them representing 19 some of the potential solutions and experiences LIFE-funded projects that focus on river restoration, developed by LIFE projects and by international river-basin management and hydro-morphological organizations. improvements. Further to LIFE projects 20 organizations were also present at the meeting, as The event was hosted by the German Federal Institute well as projects from other financial sources (FP7) or of Hydrology (BfG) and the Hessian Ministry of future LIFE IP applicants. The event had the privilege Environment, Climate Protection, Agriculture and of being attended by Dr Birgit Esser, the Head of BfG; Consumer Protection (HMUKLV) under the auspices of Todd Bridges from the U.S. Army Engineer Research the LIFE 14 Integrated Project LIFE14 IPE/DE/022 - and Development Center; Prof Dr.-Ing. Hans-Heinrich Living River Lahn. The BfG is the scientific Federal Witte, the Head of Federal Waterways and Shipping Institute for consultancy, evaluation and research in Agency; Claire McCamphill of the EC DG ENV Water the fields of hydrology, water resources management, Policy Unit and Dr Stephan von Keitz from HMUKLV ecology and water conservation of the major rivers, who were kind enough to provide inspirational and canals and coastal waters. It provides scientific informative keynote speeches. The meeting was services in close interaction with practitioners from opened and closed by Christian Strasser, Deputy Head the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration of the LIFE unit, whose presence throughout the (WSV) and further players at the federal government meeting was much appreciated by delegates. and federal state level. The BfG is part of the Background thematic organization was provided by European Research Infrastructure DANUBIUS dealing NEEMO together with the Host. with river sea systems and serves the international community by operating the UNESCO Centre for The platform meeting in its plenary session comprised Water Resources and Global Change. 2 welcome notes and 3 keynote speeches, identifying the issues, policy drivers, barriers and strategies The location was demonstrative as with respect to the related to different aspects of river restoration to river Lahn, a small river joining the Rhine just a few support the realization of relevant directives, kilometres upstream, restoration is made complicated engineering with nature and navigation. Two thematic by the fact that half of its stretch is a federal presentations were further setting the scene and 5 waterway. This river is at the heart of the Life IP presentations from successful LIFE projects in all project LiLa Living Lahn. However, freight traffic on brands from different parts of Europe illustrated the the river Lahn stopped in the 1980-ies. Since the diversity and success of implementing LIFE. 1970s, the Lahn has seen a steadily growing demand by the recreational shipping sector. Locks and weirs 3 workshop sessions were completed in the afternoon are sometimes in a bad structural condition and need session with topics of 1) Waterways in a changing to be refurbished or replaced. In the medium to long world – restoring waterways; 2) River restoration and term, the Waterways and Shipping Administration will ecosystem services; 3) Lessons to be learnt: need to decide on how to deal with these structures. experiences of river restoration work and stakeholder The need to implement the Water Framework involvement in the restoration processes, with Directive and the waterway’s precarious situation dedicated presentations for each workshop followed have prompted the local authorities and the owner of by group discussion and feedback to the plenary. the waterway to join forces under the umbrella of EU- Life IP and to launch the project LiLa Living Lahn. The 2 A boat field trip was conducted on the second day introducing the IP project, demonstrating the situation both in the River Lahn and the River Rhine, which have the status of federal waterways. The River Lahn has 29 weirs, 3 minor weirs, 23 locks, 3 boat chutes and 1 navigation tunnel. Overall most participants rated the event as excellent regarding topic, content, organization and networking. 3 The presentations of the event will be uploaded to a LIFE site and to the Virtual Platform, currently to be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7qd9CI5mq 9idkk0MGJjXzN3clU Diana Heilmann and Zsuzsanna Kocsis-Kupper, the organisers of the Water Platform Meeting and authors of this report on behalf of NEEMO would like to acknowledge the Hosts and contributors to the event: The BfG team: Dr Michael Schleuter and all his colleagues, Alexandra Brinke for all organization and logistics; The Host IP team: Dr. Stephan von Keitz, Volker Steege, Marianne Badura, Jens Maltzan, Dr.-Ing. Manuela Osterthun and Janet Weinig for concept discussions and thematic assistance; The Neemo Communications Team: Gabriella Camarsa and Justin Toland for communication aspects; Francois Delcueillerie, Konstantinos Pappas and Sabine Pries from the EC Life Unit, Solon Mias from EASME, Joerg Boehringer and Lynne Barrat, NEEMO for continuous support; All speakers, chairs and reporters of the workshops for their great efforts made; Thank you to the LIFE project representatives and all delegates who attended and made the event fruitful. 4 2. BACKGROUND In 2012, the European Commission published a strategic document called ‘A Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Water Resources’ which aimed to tackle the obstacles which hamper action to safeguard Europe’s water resources. The report emphasised key themes which included improving land use, addressing water pollution, increasing water efficiency and resilience, and improving governance by those involved in managing water resources. The Blueprint states that the most widespread pressure on ecological status in the EU originate from changes to water bodies due, for example, to dams for hydropower and navigation or draining land for agriculture and it identifies hydro- morphological pressures and alleviation of physical barriers as key issues. LIFE projects support the management of water resources in the EU and the implementation of water policy, notably the EU Water Framework Directive, by addressing a wide range of issues including among others river basin management and river restoration. River restoration refers to a large variety of ecological, physical, spatial and management measures and practices. These are aimed